Piling.



Patented Mar. 20, I900.

W. B. BONNELL &, R. F. SMITH.

FILING.

(No Model) (Application filed Apr. 25, 1899.) 2 sheetssheet I.

/NVENTOH6 No. 645,885. Patented Mar. 20, I900. W. B. BONNELL & R. F.SMITH.

FILING.

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WILLIAM BRAMWELL BON N ELL AND ROBERT FRANKLIN SMITH, or MACON,

GEORGIA.

PILING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,885, dated March20, 1900. Application filed April 25, 1899. Serial No. 714,457. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM BRAMWELL BONNELL and ROBERT FRANKLIN SMITH,of Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, have invented anew and Improved Piling, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved tubularmetallic piling designed to take the place of the wood piling nowgenerally used in the construction and foundations of breakwaters,barriers, levees, docks, &c., and which is very simple anddurable inconstruction and not liable to decay by the destructive action ofsea-water, mud, or other materials into which the piles are driven orliable to attacks of wood-boring or other insects.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

A practical embodiment of our invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement, shown with apile-driver and frame for driving the piles in position. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the sameon the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of theimprovement. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 5 5in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section of one of thepiles.

The improved piling is formed of piles A, made of iron or steel tubes,each having a steel point B at the lower end to permit of convenientlyand readily driving the lower end of the pipe into the sustainingmaterial. The piles are driven one alongside the other to form variousstructures, and the said pilesare connected with each other near theirupper ends by front and rear bars 0, placed opposite each other andconnected with each other by transverse bolts D, extending betweenadjacent piles, as is plainly indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. A cap E,preferably semicircular in cross-section, is fitted over the upper endsof the several piles, and the lower edges of the cap carry transversebolts F, of which the end bolts engage the outermost piles and theintermediate bolts extend between adjacent piles to securely hold thecap in place and to stiffen the several piles in the series.

The piles A may be made of any desired length, and for this purposeseveral tubes can be readily joined to form a pile of a de- (See Fig.6.) In order to readsired length. ily unite two such tubes to form asectional pile, a joint-block G is provided, formed at its top andbottom with offsets G G2 for engaging the adjacent ends of-the tubes,the edges of the latter abutting on the top and bottom surfaces of theblock, which prefer, ably has a diameter corresponding to the outsidediameter of the tubes. The ofisets G G are preferably beveled, so thatthe edges of the tubes readily expand in the bevels to securely unitethe block with the tubes. In addition a sleeve H is fitted over saidblock G, and a bolt I is passed through the sleeve and the block G tosecurely hold the sleeve in position.

In order to simultaneously drive a plurality of the tubular metallicpiles A by means of the usual pile-driving block J, a frame K isprovided, having apertured plates K for engaging and holding the severalpiles the desired distance apart, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.The frame K is preferably made in sections K and K of which the sectionK is hung on ropes L, extending upward and over a suitable support N, inthe form of a davit or the like, attached to a vessel 0, dock, or otherstructure near where the piles are to be driven. The sections K and K ofthe frame K are pivotally connected with each other by links K K topermit of opening the front section K by swinging the same outward tothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to allow of convenientlyplacing the frame in position on the piles. several piles are in' placeon the rear section K then the front section K is again closed andlocked in place by the links K K. The

frame K is further provided with transverselyheld on supports 0 saidguideways are extending guideways Q, of the structure 0, and

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engaged by vertically-disposed guide-rods P, which also form guidewaysfor the pile-driving block J, which when dropped strikes the upper endsof the several piles in the frame K to simultaneously drive the pilesdownward. The frame K is lowered from the structure 0 by the ropes L asthe piles descend.

Before the piles are driven they may be coated to resist the corrosiveaction of seawater or other material into which the piles are driven,and the said piles may be filled with a suitable filling material togive additional weight and strength to the piles.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A piling consisting of a number of metaltubes arranged side by side, a cap semicircular in cross-section fittedover the upper edges of the said piles, and transverse bolts extendingthrough the lower edges of said cap and engaging the piles, as and forthepurpose set forth.

2. A piling, consisting of a number of metal tubes arranged side byside, a cap fitted over the upper edges of the tubes and a series ofbolts extending transversely through the lower edges of said cap andengaging sundry tubes whereby to hold the cap in place and stiffen thepositions of the piles with respect to each other, as set forth.

3. A piling,consisting of a plurality of metal tubes arranged onealongside the other, blocks for joining adjacent ends of successivetubes, each block having top and bottom offsets for entering the tubes,and shoulders for the edges of the tubes to rest on, substantially asshown and described.

4. A piling,consisting of a plurality of metal tubes arranged onealongside the other, blocks for joining adjacent ends of successivetubes, each block having top and bottom ofisets for entering thetubes,and shoulders for the edges of the tubes to rest on, said ofisetsbeing beveled for receiving the expanding ends of the tubes, as setforth.

5. A piling,consisting of a plurality of metal tubes arranged onealongside the other,blocks for joining adjacent ends of successivetubes, each block having top and bottom ofisets for entering the tubes,shoulders for the edges of the tubes to rest on, said offsets beingbeveled for receiving the expanding ends of the tubes, and an encirclingband or sleeve fitted upon the block and the adjacent ends of the tubes,substantially as shown and described.

6. A piling, consisting of a plurality of metal tubes arranged onealongside the other, blocks for joining adjacent ends of successivetubes, each block having top and bottom offsets for entering the tubes,shoulders for the edges of the tubes to rest on, said offsets beingbeveled for receiving the expanding ends of the tubes,an encircling bandor sleeve fitted upon the block and the adjacent ends of the tubes, anda bolt for securing said sleeve to the block, as set forth.

WILLIAM BRAMWELL BONNELL- ROBERT FRANKLIN Sllll'lll.

Witnesses:

OHAs. P. ROBERTS, II. V. NAPIER.

